Four years ago, today, our youngest daughter was born into our family through adoption. Many people will often see Esther and tell us in a good-hearted fashion that she is very lucky. What people do not realize is that Daniel and I are the lucky ones. Our family is so blessed that God called us to adopt, just as God has adopted believers into His family. When we look at family pictures, we cannot imagine life without Esther. She has taught us so much about unconditional love and trust in just four short years.

God placed the name Esther on our hearts once we saw Miao Yu Shen’s first picture, her Chinese name, and knew we would be adopting a baby girl. Queen Esther in the Bible was brave, loving and courageous when faced with possible death in order to save God’s chosen people. Our Esther also faced unimaginable circumstances before we brought her home to the U.S.A., yet she chose to be brave, embrace us with love and have courage in the face of uncertainty. Without a permanent family, living in an orphanage, and unable to walk, Esther embraced us with love even though she had fear and uncertainty in her past.

This past week, while traveling home from a family vacation, we saw a white petunia that had taken root in a crack below a flower pot. Despite the difficult circumstances the little flower faced, haven taken root in the middle of concrete, it was growing strong towards the sun with multiple white blooms. Seeing the flower reminded me of Esther. Despite many difficult circumstances, Esther has taught us how to bloom where God plants our lives.

Esther has overcome five major orthopedic surgeries, physical therapy, feeding therapy, the English language, and attachment and sleep issues. Yet despite her circumstances she has a joyful loving spirit, a contagious laugh and a fierce stubbornness. Don’t dare tell her that she is unable to complete a task, because she will show you it is possible. She is a gymnast, an artist, a daughter, a sister and soon to be a first grader. She knows that Jesus loves her and does not question His greatness.

God placed Esther in our family and we have been richly blessed because of her vivacious presence. God has taught us to rely on Him because we cannot fix everything, but must rely on Him. Romans 8:28 tells us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” The road God calls us to is not always easy, because “in this world we will have trouble…but I have overcome the world” John 16:33. On Wednesday, August 8th, at 6:30pm Broadway Baptist Church will be hosting LifeLine Children’s Services, the adoption agency our family used when adopting Esther. If you are curious, or even just slightly intrigued please come learn more about adoption. God does not call us to an easy life, but to a live of obedience.

The adoption of one child might appear small when there are over 150 million orphans, but to the child that is impacted it means the world.

Today's July 4th - the day in 1776 the U.S. Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The thirteen British colonies in North America were declaring independence from Great Britain - creating a United States. 242 years later our nation remains.

If you're a born-again believer in our country, you're a citizen of America and a citizen of heaven. Philippians 3:20 says, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."

In a politically polarized America, how should Christians live as citizens of two places?

First, American Christians must vote. You need to know what's going on in your community, state and in Washington, D.C. If you don't vote, you're saying, "I'm happy with the direction and decisions being made for me." How do you know whom to vote for? You want to vote biblical values - which candidates align their policies with Scripture - midterm elections are coming up in four months - election day is Tuesday November 6.

Second, American Christians shouldn't complain. Griping about legislation, politicians, and "the other side" is futile. If you want change, you must participate in the political process (i.e. vote) and/or run for office yourself. Negativity doesn't bring positive change. The Kingdom of God will not advance with social media shares and a critical attitude. Christians must always have self-awareness - asking, "What message am I sending?" I've actually spoken with fellow believers about their supercritical attitude on Facebook. Criticizing the democrats doesn't win arguments.

I'm proud to be American, but that doesn't mean everything in America is right. Our country was founded because the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts escaping Great Britain over religious liberty. America has a Christian heritage - it's a heritage that's more important than being an American - it's a heritage that allows Christians to believe in and worship God. When we get to heaven, we'll lose our American citizenship. Finding your identity in Christ should always come before your country.

Eight days ago, Broadway concluded their annual summertime VBS. Pastors and staff members should always attend VBS, even if it's something as simple as greeting people. Your presence speaks to VBS being a priority. VBS is a unique event for churches - it accomplishes three purposes: an outreach to the community, an opportunity for church attenders to serve, and a theme-based way of presenting the Gospel. When its all said and done - VBS is about telling children about Jesus. Ministers need to be committed to advancing the Kingdom - here are 3 pastor's principles I've discovered working at VBS:

1). Pastors must take the lead with promotion. Your church has spent thousands of dollars, and hours of time in preparation - you want a great number of children to show up. A low crowd creates a sense of disappointment - classes need to be full, you want to run out of food, always having to make more copies because of a greater than expected attendance. The crowd creates the atmosphere and excitement.

This year Broadway had a VBS booth at Lexington Christian Academy, purchased yard signs, Facebook & Instagram ads, and distributed fliers at 19 Fayette County elementary schools. Pastors must be promoters.

2). Pastors need to be visible. Opening and closing ceremony, dinner, and registration - where the crowds are, you need to be there. Do not hide in your office or get trapped in side room conversations. Meet parents, get to know children - make the most of welcoming children to your church - roll out the red carpet.

3). Pastors need to celebrate the exciting week. Children should be thanked for inviting their friends, workers should be honored for their service - the offering is a blessing to others, especially since children gave it. A church can conclude with a special baptism service for decisions made, a family night, or have the children sing VBS songs on a Sunday morning. Follow-up with the children - connecting them to other ministries in the church. VBS should be prayed over, promoted and celebrated. Make this week the most-exciting week of the summer for the church.

Tragedy has struck the Southern Baptist Convention the past several weeks. Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, was terminated this past week for his handling of sexual abuse with women on two different occasions. Read the statement by Kevin Ueckert, chairman of the board of trustees, here.

This raises the questions for ministers, "How should one counsel the opposite sex? Some ministers claim, "I don't counsel those of the opposite sex." The problem with this statement, is that it's hard to live by. For example, a 3-minute hallway conversation, 20-minute phone call, or a two-hour church trip bus ride can all include counseling.

Many people think of counseling as an one-hour appointment in the pastor's office on a Thursday morning. That might be the case in some instances, but as people seem to be more busy, many ministers will regularly provide "sidewalk counseling" - you run into someone and they're asking you a quick, "What should I do?" counseling question. Even the minister who proclaims, "I don't do counseling" - either through email, text, or Facebook messenger - will find himself giving counsel, even to women.

2). Accountability is always your friend. Secrecy breeds sin. A minister can have a private conversation but not be in private. Billy Graham once described counseling a woman in the middle of a restaurant, with no one nearby, but everyone looking at them. Your spouse should always have access to email, social media, and texts. Electronic conversations are private, yet in question, should quickly become public.

3). Know your resources. If a crime has been committed - physical abuse, sexual assault, or illegal drug possession - the police must be notified. If ongoing counseling is needed, a minister should refer the lady to an ACBC counselor. One of the names of God is, "Counselor," in John 14:26 - He's the greatest resource a minister can turn to.

When a minister doesn't point people to truth - it's unkind and unloving. When people come to you for counsel, they're saying, "I trust you. Speak truth into my life." The man of God takes every opportunity to point people to Christ.

On Tuesday June 12 in Dallas, Texas - Southern Baptists will elect a new president of the convention. There will be two candidates messengers will have the opportunity to vote on as president: J.D. Greear and Ken Hemphill. I've had the privilege of hearing both of these men speak. While at New Orleans Seminary, Ken Hemphill was a guest teacher in one of my evangelism seminars. Several years ago I attended a NAMB conference at First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia and J.D. Greear spoke at it. Both of these men love the Lord, love sharing the Gospel and have an unquestionable commitment to Southern Baptist missions.

J.D. Greear is 45 years old and was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The past 16 years he's been the pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina. He's married with four children. He has a B.A. from Campbell University, a M.Div. and Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as an IMB journeyman in Southeast Asia.

The Summit Church has the goal of planting 1,000 churches in 50 years. It has already planted 248, with 208 of these being outside of the U.S. Last year The Summit baptized 631 people on it's nine campuses.

Interesting Fact: In the 2016 SBC presidential election, Greear was in a run-off vote with current president, Steve Gaines. Greear received 47.80% of the vote and Gaines received 49.96% - the winner needs 50% plus one. Greear bowed out and allowed Gaines to serve as president.

Ken Hemphill

Ken Hemphill is 70 years old and was born in Morganton, North Carolina. He's married with three children and ten grandchildren. He has a B.A. from Wake Forest University, a M.Div. and D.Min. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Cambridge University. Hemphill serves as the special assistant to the president of North Greenville University. He's a member of First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Throughout the decades, Hemphill has served churches and institutions of the Southern Baptist Convention. He has pastored churches in Kentucky and Virginia, worked for the SBC's Executive Committee, NAMB, and was president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Interesting Fact: Ken is a P.K. (preacher's kid). His father, Carl Hemphill, served as pastor for 55 years in churches throughout North Carolina.

Messengers vote for their president. Every church is entitled to two voting messengers and can qualify up to twelve, depending on their giving. Learn more about the SBC's constitution here.

When you arrive at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas - you'll want to come prepared and educated to vote for your next president!

Former Vinesville Baptist Church - now New Rising Star Primitive Baptist Church

Everyone needs to know their Christian heritage. My grandparent's "family church" - meaning the church with your Christian heritage handed down through generations is called, Bethsalem Baptist Church in south Chilton County, Alabama. You'll find "Ausbuns" buried in the church's cemetery.

Vinesville Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama is also part of my heritage. This church has transitioned into New Rising Star Primitive Baptist Church as the community changed. My father was saved and baptized there.

Having a Christian heritage doesn't mean you're saved, but it does mean you have a legacy of great-grandparents, grandparents, and a mom and dad who taught you the Scriptures and made church attendance a priority.

Every believer has a heritage, from the first person who shared Christ with you to your parents bringing you to Sunday School.

Not only do you have a heritage, but you give a Christian heritage when you share the Gospel with a non-believer. Every evangelistic encounter is beginning a new Christian heritage. Someone shared the Gospel with the Ausbuns centuries ago - and that legacy continues today.

1). It serves as an invitation to Easter. Children and parents come to the church parking lot on Saturday and receive an invitation to Easter worship on Sunday.

2). It's a reminder for parents to "Save the Date" for summer VBS. Plan your summer beach trip around VBS. We're 79 days away from the most-exciting week of the summer - children in the community need to pre-register - you can sign-up here.

3). Easter Egg Hunts connect churches with their communities. The Gospel is for the neighborhood and the nations. Lexington needs Jesus and the first step for many unchurched people is to attend a community event - if they feel welcome at an Egg Hunt, they'll be more inclined to visit a worship service.

4). An Easter Egg Hunt allows all ages of church members to serve. From filling eggs to passing out prizes - teenagers, parents, and senior adults can be involved.

Sunday April 21, 2019 is Easter - make plans next year for your church's Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 20 - a ministry event with great value!

Yesterday I returned, along with eleven others, from the Kentucky Baptist Convention's (KBC) Sao Paulo, Brazil vision trip. The purpose of the trip was to educate and connect KBC churches with opportunities in Brazil. We worked with International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries and Brazilian Baptist churches. Here are four observations I learned from one week in Sao Paulo:

1). The city is huge. Spread out, 20+ million residents, and diverse. The opportunities are limitless in any part of the city. There's never a shortage of people. The IMB missionaries said there's a need for 1,300+ new churches. Overwhelming is an understatement.

2). Sao Paulo has major challenges. The housing is dense - apartments everywhere - favelas taking over the city. Poverty, crime, gangs, and drugs all go together and Sao Paulo is no exception.

3). The IMB mission team is small. There are five "units" for 20+ million people - about fifteen people are trying to be a catalyst for reaching the city. This is where the partnership with KBC churches comes in. Basically, the laborers are few.

4). The city is lost. Brazilians love Jesus, but the picture of Christ they think of is different than the Scriptures. One of the IMB workers described it aptly as "peeling off the layers to get to the real Jesus." Roman Catholicism is entrenched in their culture. I found the people to be open to discussing spiritual topics, but Biblical Christianity can easily be included with the mixture of religious beliefs.

Register for DNow Weekend here.Learn more about other KBC vision trips here.

It's Winter, churches are now making their Fall plans. One of the ways to reach your community is to host an evangelistic event - a main event. If you're going to invite the community, you need to be prepared. Here are three keys to planning an event:

1). Prayer and Fasting. Evangelist Ronnie Hill of Fort Worth, Texas, asks churches to have a 40-day prayer and fasting focus leading up to the main event.

2). The right date and time. Traditionally, December and January are slow months for speakers. Evangelist Rick Gage tries to avoid summer crusades because school's out. When are people going to be in their weekly routine?

3). The right name. Evangelist Franklin Graham calls them Festivals, his son, Evangelist Will Graham, calls them Celebrations. Religious words such as Crusade, Revival, Harvest, and Camp Meeting can turn-off some would-be attenders. Conferences, Retreats, and Seminars have found their way into evangelistic titles.

Jesus wants people saved - with devoted prayer, the right timing and a neutral name - barriers are removed for people to come to Him.

Reading Scripture is a must for Christian discipleship and growth. This is a non-negotiable for every believer. I was raised on the NIV Bible, switched to the HCSB in 2011, and switched again to the CSB in 2017. There are more options than ever for studying Scripture, every type of Bible, every type of reading plan. Here are three CSB options to consider in 2018:

1). The CSB Disciple's Study Bible - this features the Foundations 260 Reading Plan developed by Dr. Robby Gallaty at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee. This is a new Bible, it was released on November 15, 2017 - learn more about it here.

2). She Reads Truth - this is also in the CSB - a Scripture reading movement for women developed with the hashtag: #SheReadsTruth - the Bible has a one-year Bible reading plan. It's also a new Bible, released on April 15, 2017 - learn more about it here.

3). The CSB Study Bible - this is the Bible I use for study. I was a fan of the HCSB before this one was released. There are two Bible reading plans in the back of this great resource - the first is a 3-year Bible reading plan that takes the reader through the entire Scripture over a 3-year period. The second is called, "Daily Bread," which is one-year reading plan that covers the Old Testament once, and the New Testament twice in one year. This was released on May 15, 2017 - learn more about it here.

Bonus: The CSB Spurgeon Study Bible also came out this year from LifeWay - outstanding resource from the great 19th century British pastor, Charles Spurgeon. Unfortunately, this new Bible doesn't have a Bible reading plan - learn more about it here.

One of Broadway Baptist's Christmas traditions is the Church Family Christmas Tree in the Welcome Center. Every December, church members are encouraged to bring a Christmas ornament from home and place it on the tree. The goal of this is to make the Christmas season personal for each family.

I remember several years ago, someone came up to me after church and said they don't think churches should be putting up Christmas trees. They said Nativity sets are acceptable, but not Christmas trees.

This is a question worth answering. Should believers and churches put up Christmas trees? Those who object to Christmas trees claim they have pagan origins. The scripture quoted opposing trees is Jeremiah 10:2-5.

If you study the history of the evergreen tree, it was considered a symbol of life in the Roman world. Europeans would cut down evergreen trees and plant them in their living rooms for a winter festival.

It is true about the possible pagan origins of evergreen trees - being an object of worship and life 2,000 years ago - but that's not the case today.

Christmas trees aren't idols. No one (at least I've never heard of one) worships Christmas trees. Folks don't walk into church on Sundays in December and believe we're worshipping trees. The Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4-6) does forbid us from idols, but Christmas trees aren't idols.

Christmas trees and December 25 aren't mentioned in Scripture, but this doesn't mean believers and churches can't celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25, while using a tree.

Christmas trees and the presents under the tree, represent new life and the gift of Jesus we received on the first Christmas in Bethlehem.

This December we celebrate the birth of Christ - displaying a tree hopefully reminds people about new life in Christ and the importance of giving - God gave us the greatest gift of all!

500 years ago today, an Augustinian monk in Wittenberg, Germany nailed 95 theses to the door at All Saints' Church. This act of defiance was the beginning point of the Protestant Reformation.

What can we learn from this event today? Why does Martin Luther matter?

1). Luther reminds us the "church" can err. The Roman Catholic Church was selling indulgences - they had drifted away from the Scriptures. If it happened back then, it can happen today.

2). On January 3, 1521 Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. He was warned of his writings and views, and he refused to recant them. The word "Protestant" comes from the word, "Protest." All Protestant churches are in essence a "Protest" church of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. When he nailed his theses to the door four years earlier, he probably didn't intend to begin a new branch of Christianity and be removed from the Catholic Church.

The two main doctrines Protestants reject from the Reformation to today are papal supremacy and the sacraments. The doctrine of salvation reemerged as faith alone - by rejecting the sacraments of salvation the Catholic Church taught, Luther began the greatest revival in Christian history. Luther's rejection led to salvation.

3). Luther translated the Bible into German, the language of the people. The common people in Germany during the 16th century, did not know Latin. Luther translated the Bible into German and used the newly invented printing press to print mass copies. Regular Joe and Jane all of a sudden were able to read the Scriptures for themselves. They also were able to "Protest" the Catholic Church with their own Bible. Finally the Bible began to come to every home.

Today, the language of the people is mobile internet - if they can't read it from their hand, they don't read it.

Last weekend Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas coast, creating possibly the largest natural disaster in U.S. history. Houston is America's fourth largest city, experiencing widespread flooding. Americans want to help, want to give, want to go.

It's important to understand the three "R's" of disaster response: Rescue, Relief and Recovery. Most Baptists are able to help in the relief and recovery phases. The recovery phase will last for a year or longer.

One of the best ways to give to Hurricane Harvey victims is through Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR). There are three ways to give to SBDR:

Earlier this month, Broadway Baptist Church, took a truck and trailer (and church shuttle bus) to McDowell County, West Virginia. Southern West Virginia is an area of need - former coal mining communities struggling for jobs. Drugs and unemployment have created a hunger and spiritual crisis. The churches there struggle. The needs are overwhelming.

Eleven people from Broadway went to work with Five Loaves & Two Fishes Food Bank in Kimball, West Virginia. The food bank receives a monthly donation of food from Operation Blessing International - founded by Pat Robertson in 1978. Wal-Mart used to donate food, but they went out of business.

On the third Saturday of the month, Bob & Linda McKinney - the directors of Five Loaves distribute at least 125 grocery buggies full of food to those in need. Many of the people receiving food camped-out overnight to be in line on Saturday morning. The need is great - hunger is real in America. 1 out of 6 people in North America are undernourished.

How can you help? You might not be able to travel to West Virginia, but you can support Global Hunger Relief, which is Southern Baptists' initiative to fight hunger in North America and throughout the world. Global Hunger Sunday is October 8, 2017 - 100% of every dollar given goes towards meeting hunger needs. Encourage your church to participate, encourage the children at your church to use bread banks ($75 for 50 banks from WMU) to collect change to meet hunger needs. Learn more about Global Hunger Relief here.